So, I'm trying to find a new bridge pickup for my RG7321. Thanks to some help, I've narrowed down to the Evo-7 for DiMarzios. But, I'm also considering the Duncan Full Shred, since I've heard some really good reviews.

Tone-wise, I'm looking for a VERY tight low end, think Fear Factory and Iced Earth. Lots of rapid chugging and palm mutes with maybe a small solo thrown here and there. I know the D-Activator 7 would excel at this, but I've heard mixed reviews of it in Basswood.

Also, I did do a search, and it just confused things even more for me.

I do like the X2N, but for chugga chuggas the Duncan Distortion may suit you. The Full Shred is another good option.

Do you have a preference of ceramic/alnico mags? I personally don't like alnico Vs for anything below standard tuning. I love the smooth high end on them, but for rhythm or downtuning I prefer ceramic magnets. That's just a personal preference.

"Only two things are infinite, the Universe and human stupidity. However, I'm not too sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

Oops. Sorry to have led you astray. I had just installed the Full Shred 7 in my Apex (replacing a Duncan Invader). It sounded good at the house, through Amplitube, but . . . Invader for the win! The Full Shred 7 is too trebley and twangy for my liking (I just played it through my Triple Rectifier about 30 minutes ago). The low B string sounded awful - like a bass string. I have had this experience with all of Dimarzio's pickups, but it was really even more pronounced on this. On the low string you hear a lot of bass, and very little of the note. I tried different heights as well as adjusting the individual pole piece, but to no avail.

After about 8 different 7 string pickups, I always go back to the Invader. It is the only pickup I've played that can give you a heavy chug with crunch on the low string (except for Duncan Blackouts).

I'd avoid the Full Shred 7. If you really want it, PM me and I'll sell mine to you. I used it for all of 3 hours and I know it doesn't work for me.

Oops. Sorry to have led you astray. I had just installed the Full Shred 7 in my Apex (replacing a Duncan Invader). It sounded good at the house, through Amplitube, but . . . Invader for the win! The Full Shred 7 is too trebley and twangy for my liking (I just played it through my Triple Rectifier about 30 minutes ago). The low B string sounded awful - like a bass string. I have had this experience with all of Dimarzio's pickups, but it was really even more pronounced on this. On the low string you hear a lot of bass, and very little of the note. I tried different heights as well as adjusting the individual pole piece, but to no avail.

After about 8 different 7 string pickups, I always go back to the Invader. It is the only pickup I've played that can give you a heavy chug with crunch on the low string (except for Duncan Blackouts).

I'd avoid the Full Shred 7. If you really want it, PM me and I'll sell mine to you. I used it for all of 3 hours and I know it doesn't work for me.

I have a few guitars iwth the FS7 and it's a tight f'n pickup with thick mids and great cut through treble. Check your wiring and/or retweak your amp settings. I find the FS7 to probably be the tightest 7 string from Duncan with the Distortion being 2nd and then the Custom.

You're probably one of the main reasons why I was considering it. I saw you were raving about it, so I decided to check it out.

Have you ever tried it in anything Basswood?

Honestly if there was a Duncan that might sound good in basswood I'd think it would be the FS however I've not tried it in anything basswood. As a thought for most duncans don't usually vibe with the neutral basswood tone.

Honestly if there was a Duncan that might sound good in basswood I'd think it would be the FS however I've not tried it in anything basswood. As a thought for most duncans don't usually vibe with the neutral basswood tone.

That's why I really didn't consider Duncan at first, since I've heard they work best in anything except basswood. But, after I heard things about the Distortion and the Full Shred being a good fit, I decided to consider them.

I'd say the two pickups you've narrowed it down to are very similar. They respond to high gain with added fuzz IMHO. As I was playing through the FS7 I was thinking of my experience with the EVO6. I couldn't get a good clear note no matter how I adjusted anything. But obviously many others have had success with them.

As I mentioned before, if you want the FS7, I have a barely used one available - $70 shipped? PM me if you're interested.

I used to have an RG7621 that the previous owner installed a JB7/Jazz7 set, and one thing I can say about the Seymour Duncan pickups is that the poles on the pickups extend out further down from the base; he had to route out some of the wood for them to fit. I'm not sure if all Duncan pickups are like that or not, but they might be just to warn you.

I'd stick with Dimarzios just so you don't have to modify the guitar, the EVO7 sounds like it would be good for you.

Things are way simpler than pickup manufacturers want to make you believe. The D-Activator 7 Neck model is the best pickup for any guitar, in any position, regardless of anything else (unless you need a slanted pickup). This will change when Q-Tuners are sold again. Get the pickup that you can make sound like any other pickup. The other models can't do this because they roll off too much high end. Erno from Q-tuner, Joe Barden, and I understand this principle. This is why they don't sell a thousand models like all the ripoff artists.

Things are way simpler than pickup manufacturers want to make you believe. The D-Activator 7 Neck model is the best pickup for any guitar, in any position, regardless of anything else (unless you need a slanted pickup). This will change when Q-Tuners are sold again. Get the pickup that you can make sound like any other pickup. The other models can't do this because they roll off too much high end. Erno from Q-tuner, Joe Barden, and I understand this principle. This is why they don't sell a thousand models like all the ripoff artists.

Seriously I completely disagree: pickup choices are all subjective and there's no "one and only" for everything.

I'd like to avoid Q-Tuners...
1) They're REALLY expensive (Didn't you notice I said no BKP's? )
2) I read many reviews on them, and the general consensus is that they work best for clean and mild distortion. They're not the best for heavy distortion, which I rely on more than clean/mild breakup.

And Edgecrusher, I believe the RG7321 pickups routes are different compared to the RG7321's. While they're not the same pickup, I saw people having to route Duncan Blackouts to be able to fit in RG76's or RG74's to fit, while RG7321's are drop-in replacements.

2) I read many reviews on them, and the general consensus is that they work best for clean and mild distortion.

The people writing those reviews had no idea how to use EQs or compressors. You need to educate yourself about what pickups actually do, before you spend this money you don't have. I'll help if you have specific questions, but I'm not delving into this superstitious nonsense about certain pickups having a magical property to work in some styles better than others. It's an electric guitar. Fix the signal if it's not driving things like you want it to be.

Then you're a lost cause. Have fun buying a new pickup and guitar for every tone you want to use.

Q-tuners have their own properties that some people like, and some people dislike. I'd personally vouch for a bareknuckle or even a dimarzio any day over the Q-Tuners; could you show me some examples of your metal tones with Q-tuners? I'm not being sarcastic I'd just like to hear some examples of what you're trying to say.

could you show me some examples of your metal tones with Q-tuners? I'm not being sarcastic I'd just like to hear some examples of what you're trying to say.

Nope, don't own them anymore. (I have one clean guitar and one bass + overdriven lead guitar recording if you care, but that doesn't seem relevant.) The ones I had didn't fit in the guitars I had over the past few years, so I sold them. Hit me up when they're being sold again; I'm going to put two in a 27"-30" Agile Intrepid. You've got to do the same thing (lowpass filter, mid boost) with the D-Activator Neck, though, to get good metal rhythm tones. It's not as good as the Q-Tuner, but it's way brighter than any pickup marketed for metal, in the bridge position. I've got one in the Agile Pendulum I'm using until I switch to that other guitar I mentioned; if you need a demo, let me know. It's not angled, so it doesn't sound as good as it could, but the lack of rolloff mostly makes up for the harmonics it's not picking up, at least under distortion.

Well, right now, I'm really set on the Full Shred. Since people are saying it'll react pretty well in Basswood and that it has a similar tone to the Evo, that's a draw to me. It also has a bit less output then the Evo, which I also see as a plus.